Which NASA spacecraft delivered asteroid Bennu samples to Earth in 2023?

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft delivered asteroid Bennu samples to Earth in 2023.

Launched in September 2016, OSIRIS-REx traveled to near-Earth asteroid 101955 Bennu and entered orbit in December 2018. It mapped the asteroid before briefly touching its surface in October 2020 with the TAGSAM collection mechanism. The spacecraft gathered loose rocks and dust, then began its return journey.

On 24 September 2023, the sample-return capsule landed in Utah’s West Desert. It delivered roughly 121.6 grams of material, the largest asteroid sample ever returned at that time. Scientists study it for clues about the early Solar System and the ingredients that may have contributed to life.

OSIRIS-REx is sometimes confused with Japan’s Hayabusa missions. Hayabusa returned samples from Itokawa in 2010, while Hayabusa2 returned material from Ryugu in 2020. After releasing its capsule, OSIRIS-REx was renamed OSIRIS-APEX for an extended mission to asteroid Apophis.